Method of core drilling



Dec. 29, 1936. .1. B. NEwsoM METHOD oF COREDRILLING INVENTOR.

5.. Wy N R M A R. B N w Jv. B .u

Dg. 29, 1936. l J. B'. N'EWSOM 2,065,725

I METHOD OF` ORE DRILLING Filed April e,V l1935 l s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

' JOHN BRAM/ER Mawson A TTORNEY Patented Dec. 29, 1936 METHUD F CURE BEING' application april s, i935, serial No. 15,226

'2 claims.

This invention relates to drills for sinking yshafts such as mine shafts, and in particular to a core drill. It has been the practice for many years to sink large size shafts such as mining shafts by means of explosives, and it is well known that the walls of a shaft sunk in this manner are rough and irregular and consequently have to be timbered. In amine of any size a crew has to be maintained for the sole purpose of replacing the shaft and tunnel timbers. Small diametercore drills have been used for many years, and are familiar to most mining engineers. However, these drills have been used mainly for sampling and for providing core. drill has never been designed and successfully employed prior to the development work on which this application is based, for drilling large diameter shafts in the order of five foot or larger, and to thel depth required for mining operations.

One of the objectsvof this invention is the provision of a method of sinking a large diameter shaft in which a core drill is employed.

Another object -of the invention is the provision of a mechanism for sinking a large diameter shaft comprising a cylindrical pilot house; a drive shaft depending from the pilot house and secured at its lower end to a core drill; and means within the pilot house for rotating said shaft and controlling its vertical movement.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a core drill provided with a relatively movable pilot house which may be occupied by an operator during the actual drilling operations.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of means for collecting the drilling cuttings during the drilling operation.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which with the foregoing, will be set forth atlength in the following description where that form of the invention which has been selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specication is outlined in full. In said drawings, one formof the invention is shown, but it is to be understood that it is not limited to such form, since the invention as set forth in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal cross section of a shaft drill embodying'the objects of my invenin Figure 1.

passages for liquid. As far as I am aware, a

Figure 3 is a Figure l.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line lle-i of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the spider shown intermediate thepilot house and core drill in Figure l.

Figure 6 is a cross section taken on the line- B-t of Figure 1. y

Figure 7 is a-fragmentary View of the cutting. member'of the core drill.

Figure 8 `is a diagrammatic View of my shaft drill `in position for drillingA at the beginning of a new cycle.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic View of my shaft drill at the end of a drilling operation.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view, oi.7 a shaft" with the shaft drill removed and the core` in I position to be broken 'away from its base.

My invention contemplates the use of a cylindrical pilot house l within which is suspended a drive shaft 2, to which secured at its lower end a core drill 3. The pilot house and the core drill are preferably made from 1/2" plate, and the pilot house is reinforced by means of channel bars t, 5, t, and l, welded or otherwise secured thereto. Supported by the channel bar 'l' are a pair of spaced li-beams 8 and 9 which in turn support the bearing members il and l2'. The channel ,bar E supports a wood flooring I3 and also a pair of spaced channels lll and l5, which in turn support a plate l 6. Depending from and secured to the plate l5 'is a bearing il in alignment with the bearing Il and within which the shaftV 2 is adapted to rotate. Keyed to the shaft 2 between the bearings l l andl'l isa bull wheel or gear wheel I8 adapted to be driven by a pinionl l carried by the shaft 2 l, which in turn is supported by bearings i2 'and 22. Secured to the intermediate portion of the shaft`2| is a gear 23 adapted plan view of the drill shown in to be driven by the belt 24 which passes over spaced brackets 3lwhich serve as bearings for the shaft 32 to the outer ends offwhich are# secured pulleys 33. Slidably disposed within the rectangular frame formed by the channel bars to the lower side of the roof 2l' are a pair of adapted to be lowered and raised by a winch 38 operatively connectedto the block 34 by ropes o1;

cables 31.

Disposed at spaced points within the channel bars 4 and 5 are a plurality of wall jacks consisting of nuts 38 held in position by clips 39 and screws 4I passing through the nuts and adapted to be driven into the walls-of the shaft 42.

The function of the screws 4I- is to center and level the cylindrical pilot house I 'within the shaft and to simultaneously anchor it within the shaft in its centered position. As an aid in leveling the pilot house, spirit levels may be conveniently located on its framework.

The core drill 3 is closed at its upper end by a plate 44 to which is secured a collar 45 which in turn is bolted to the lower end of the shaft- 2 as clearly shown in Figure 1. A manhole 46 is provided in the plate 44 adapted to be closed by a cover 41. The lower end of the core drill 31s formed with a suitable cutting edge 48 adapted to cooperate with the customary steel balls.

Intermediate the pilot house I and the core drill 3 is a spider generally designated as 49, comprising a frame 5I adapted to carry a plurality of spaced screws 52. The center of the frame 5I serves as a bearing for the shaft 2,

and therefore it will be seen that the spider 49 may be used to prevent the shaft 2 from whipping when the core drill is in its extended position. Although not shown the spider 49 is provided with 'means for suspending it from the pilotrhouse and holding it in any predetermined position while the screws 52 are being adjusted. When the core drill 3 is raised the frame 5I of the .spider is supported on the angle iron 53 secured to the plate 44 while-the pilot house I rests against blocks 54, carried by the frame 5I.

As best shown in Figure 3 the plate 21 which forms the ceiling of the pilot house'I is provided with trap doors 55 and 56 through which an operator may pass in order to gain entrance to the pilot house. `'I'he upper periphery of the shell of the pilot house I extends above the ceiling 21 and is bent inwardly asl at 51 (Figures l and 2) so that the pilot house may be pulled upwardly within the shaft. In eect this upper periphery of the pilot house shell'forms a guide member for the pilot house during its upward movement through the shaft. To the upper end of the shaft 2 is bolted a ring 58 to which a cable lmay be secured for the purpose of raising and lowering the entire mechanism, and", also for the purpose'of suspending the shaft drill in any predetermined position. Ordinarily the screws 4I serve. to anchor the pilot house in position, but as a safeguard it is advisable to keep the cable secured to the ring 58 taut sothat if by any chance the screws 4I give way there will be no danger of dropping'the entire mechanism.

'Ihe operation of the mechanism isv as follows: 'Ihe bottom of the shaft or drill hole 42 is cleaned out and then a bucket 93 having a bail 64 is lowered to and seated on the bottom of the shaft. The shaft drill is lowered to the bottom of the shaft 42'by means of the cable secured to the ring 58, so that the core drill 3 rests on the iioor of the shaft and over the bucket 53. 'The pilot house is then centered within the shaft and anchored therein by means 26' is a block 34 which is adapted to engage the -introduced to the cutting edge 48 of the core drill and this is preferably accomplished by introducing the shot between the walls of the shaft 42 and the outer base of the core drill 3.

It is for this reason primarily that the upper end of the core drill has been entirely closed by means of the plate 44 and the trap door 4l.

At this time the spider 49 may be allowed to rest on top 'of the core drill 3. The core drill is then gradually lowered as the drilling progresses, by means of the winch 36. In this connection it should be particularly noted that since the core drill is about ten feet long the operator is always within 20 or 25 feet of the cutting edge of the core drill. lThis is of considerable importance for the rate of lowering the core drill depends entirely upon the nature of the rock through which the shaft is being sunk. and this in turn can only be determined by sound, by the heat generated in drilling, `and by the manner inwhich thefdrill appears to beoperating. The rate at which drilling is al- 49 intermediate the core drill and the pilot' house for the purpose of preventing any whipping or lashing of the shaft 2. This may be done by the operator by lowering himself through a trap door in the floor I3, and lowering the spider 49 to the desired point by means' of suitable cables as above described and then adjusting the screws 52. The drilling operation produces cuttings in the form of heavy sand which are collected as the drilling progresses in the bucket 53 resting .on top of the core. The rotation of the core-drill causes the water in the shaft. to swirl and to thereby deposit the sand in the bucket. The capacity of the bucket should be sufficient to hold all of the cuttings formed during one complete cycle of operation. When the core drill 3 has completed its full strike of 10 feet or so as shown in Figure 9,`the entire mechanism is hoisted from the shaft, leavingj the core 59 extending upwardly Ifrom the bottom of the shaft as shown in Figure 10 with the`V away from the lower end of the shaft, as shown at 62. 'I'he core 59 may then be removed either in a ysingle piece or in several pieces as the case 4would be'produced which might suffocate .the

operator. Furthermore, considerable heat is developed during the drillingv operation. these reasons it has been found desirable to provide the pilot house with a valved air line extending from the top of the shaft so that a controlled supply of air may always be available.

Cylindrical as herein used in reference to the pilot house I is not to be construed as limited to a circular cylinder but rather in its broad geometric sense. As a matter of fact the pilot house may consist of merely a suitable frame work covered at the top to protect the operator and containing the Working mechanism above described.

I claim: Y

1. The method of collecting cuttings from a shaft during the operation of a core drill under water comprising placing a bucket on top of the core and rotating the drill to cause the water to swirl and thereby lift the cuttings into the bucket.

2. The method of collecting the cuttings resulting from the operation of a Arotary core drill in drilling a shaft comprising: rotating the core drill in the shaft; maintaining a bucket on top of the core; and maintaining the Water level in the shaft above the core so that the swirling motion imparted'to the Water by the rotation of the core will deposit the cuttings within the bucket.

JOHN BRANNER NEWSOM. 

